ginger cookies with chocolate and apricot

Today's post is brought to you in part by the wonder bloggers/organizer extraordinaires Lindsay of Love and Olive Oil and Julie of the little kitchen. These two came up with a genius idea: The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap! What this means is that in the past week or so over 600 bloggers were elbow-deep in flour making cookies for fellow bloggers. In total, over 22,000 were to be delivered. For me, it was a total success: I sent out a dozen of these here ginger cookies to three other bloggers I don't even know, and in return I got a dozen cookies each from three different bloggers. It was an exciting week to get home from work and check the mail. :) I mean, do you know how much I like cookies? I didn't realize what a cookie monster I was until I made the tag cloud for my blog (check out the right sidebar! --->) and realized the two biggest entries by far were soup (duh!) and cookies! More about this brilliant swap later in the post...

Now for the super bizarro story of how I got these cookies made on time. I dropped my husband off at the airport as he headed off to a conference (*cough cough* *nerd summit*), then picked up a few things at the store on the way home. I settled in to get the cookies made. Christmas lights were on, festive music in the air, fuzzy slippers on, oven preheating... I totally had my evening on schedule. I started throwing the dry ingredients together, and then I hit a serious road block: I needed ginger. Not just fresh ginger, but also dried ginger. Craaaaaaap. 

So here's the thing: it had snowed recently. I hate driving in the snow. I didn't want to go back to the store -- I needed to get a run in before dark, and I sure didn't want to be late for my first appearance at an event with the Minnesota Food Bloggers -- the very first Big Veggie Night! Conveniently, the two closest grocery stores to me are two lovely coops that sell bulk spices. I turned off the oven, tossed on some running clothes, grabbed some laundry quarters, and was out the door before my dog even realized what was happening.

Just add flour, sugar, ginger, more ginger, butter, love, and SWEAT.

I ran to the coop (the one I had not just been to an hour or so ago -- for variety's sake of course), and grabbed the three tablespoons of ginger that I needed. I went up to the register. The lovely cashier totally realized what was going on, and clearly was curious about my intentions, but I had my game face on and I didn't feel like being chatty. Our conversation went something like this:

Cashier: "What do we have here?" (shakes the bag like a dirty tissue)

Me: "Ginger." (with rosy cheeks, in black spandex running ninja gear, slush melting off of running shoes)

Cashier: "And what are you going to make with your ginger?" (big smile)

Me: "Cookies." (places handful of quarters on the counter)

There were some dimes and pennies left behind in this transaction, but hey, I got the cookies in the mail the next morning, I got to go for a run (with extra purpose!),  and I made it to dinner on time.

A word on yield for this recipe: My dearly beloved cookbook told me one batch would make 48 half-tablespoon sized cookies. I wanted the cookies to be a good size, so that meant I'd get 24 one tablespoon sized cookies from a batch.  I needed to make at least 36, so I doubled the batch. Well... I somehow ended up making 82 standard sized cookies. Whups. New math? 

ginger cookies with chocolate and apricot
Every so slightly tweaked from Heidi Swanson's cookbook (obviously!), Super Natural Every Day

for one batch/48 small cookies

1/2 c. turbinado sugar
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1 c. spelt flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 t. baking soda
1 1/2 T. ground ginger
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/2 c. butter, cut into 1 T. pats
1/4 c. blackstrap molasses
2/3 c. granulated sugar
2 T. grated fresh ginger
1 large egg, well beaten
1 c. dried apricots, cut into bitty cubes (pea sized?)

Put the turbinado sugar in a small bowl. Chop the chocolate into 1/8 inch pieces. Don't worry if they aren't uniform; it's exciting when you find a big chunk in a cookie! In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, and salt.

Heat the butter in a saucepan until it is just barely melted. Stir in the molasses, fine-grain sugar, and fresh ginger. The mixture should be warm, but not hot. Whisk in the egg. Pour this mixture over the flour and add the apricots. Stir until barely combined. Stir in the chocolate. Chill for at least 30 minutes (over dinner, perhaps?)

Preheat the oven to 350 F with racks in the top an bottom third of the oven. Line two making sheets with parchment paper.

Scoop out the dough in tablespoons. Tear that ball in half and roll each piece into a ball. Roll each ball in the dish with the turbinado sugar and place on the cookie sheet. Bake the cookies, two sheets at a time, for 7 to 10 minutes. They'll smell done, but also be puffy and the bottoms will be darkened. Don't worry that the cookies are still a bit mushy, they'll set as they cool. Let them cool a bit on the pan to firm up, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Now for a big thank you to the swappers who sent me their cookies -- you really helped me get into the holiday spirit! I look forward to reading your posts, because I am going to need these recipes! I promise to keep the good karma wheel going.

Top: Chocolate Cherry Nuggets from Backstage Balance

Bottom Left: Puerto Rican Shortbread Cookies from La Casa De Sweets

Bottom Right: Buckeye Cookies from Lace, Etc.

lemon and olive oil banana bread

Banana bread for grown-ups! Smells sophisticated! You know, you're leaving town in a week, but there's three overripe bananas and what with Thanksgiving coming up, you'd really rather not grab a stick of butter. Personally, I am not a fan of glaze on quick breads even though it is called for in this recipe. I like that they aren't as super sweet like cake with frosting. But that's me, and it took me until I was in my 20s to appreciate cake with frosting. Not like that would have anything to do with the fact that I live four blocks from a cupcake bakery, nooo.... Ahem. Back on that train of thought that was originally steaming full speed ahead, I wouldn't be opposed to a sprinkling of turbinado sugar on top next time for some crunch. And there will so totally be a next time.

Also, a quick note on types of chocolate, and ingredients in general really: if you don't know which kind is which, you should get over yourself and Google it. I used unsweetened chocolate in this, and it was fine, but I promise that you want semisweet for maximum goodness. 

hot cocoa mix

I'm not going to lie to you. When the temperatures begin to drop in Minnesota, my husband and I have been known to grab a giant family sized tub of hot cocoa mix to get us through the colder months. You know, the cheap kind. For shame.

But at least it isn't those ultra-shamefully wasteful individual packets of cocoa mix. Come on Nestle, how do you know how much cocoa I need?! It is totally a matter of personal opinion, and probably also my mood. At work, we have a lovely off-site storage facility that does not have running water. Generally working out at that site involves a lot of thirst-generating activities of hauling stuff around. In our efforts to be cheap and green, we've installed a water cooler out there. It turns out there's a spigot for hot water too... which means tea and hot cocoa in the colder months (oh right, and it isn't heated either)! I decided that in the spirit of bulk goods that I would make a batch of cocoa mix for the lab.

Of course, I had to have a mug for myself at home first (just to make sure it worked out okay, right?).

So I made a tweaked version of Alton Brown's hot cocoa mix for starters. I'd say it worked out quite nicely! The only bummer is that the grocery store only sells one brand of dry milk, and it is nonfat. I think I'd go for something a little more... luxurious (?) if I could find it.

A mere serving suggestion. :)

Here's what I used:

1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/4 cup powdered milk
3/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup dark cocoa
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cornstarch
1 pinch cayenne
1 pinch cinnamon

Whisk ingredients together in a bowl until you are convinced it is homogenous (science buzzword!). Store in a pretty glass container with a tight fitting lid in the pantry. I would say 2-3 spoonfuls are fine for a standard mug, but that is totally your call, not mine!

chocolate-filled pretzel bites

I am almost afraid to say it out loud, but I do think that springtime is here to stay in Minnesota. When my cat starts to drop his winter coat, I say it is a done deal. Today we had the windows open, and I wasn't even burning anything in the kitchen! I wore shorts, a tank top, and flip flops today. I felt sweaty after my run. Being outside felt so great, even when the clouds rolled in. That first warm day that you know is not just a tease makes me feel much more relaxed. I associate that feeling with turning in a last final of a spring semester. It makes me feel a little odd that I have that same sense of relief, and I'm not even a student any more. Hmm.

But, it is not summer yet. I know this because I still like eating chocolate. Usually when summer rolls in, I am off chocolate until September. It's not that I no longer like it, it's just that fruit-filled desserts start to look way more appealing. 

Hence, chocolate-filled pretzel bites! I may tweak this recipe more at some point, as I have a few fundamental problems with it (uhh, a baking time could be kind of helpful in a recipe?). But, do not despair -- the result was still tasty. My comments are embedded in the recipe below, plus some adaptations and additional steps.

Chocolate-filled pretzel bites
(makes about 85 bites)

• For the pretzel dough:
• 1 3/4 cups warm water
• 2 1/4 t. active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 3/4 cups flour (plus lots more for dusting)
• 
  
• For the filling:
• 1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup)
• 6 oz. baker's chocolate
• 2 t. brown sugar
• pinch cinnamon
• pinch cayenne
• 
  
• For the poaching liquid:
• 10 cups water
• 2/3 cup baking soda
• 
  
• For the finishing touches:
• Egg wash, as needed
• 1/4 cup salt
• 
  
• Directions!
• 1. Make the dough. Combine warm water (100 to 110 F), yeast, sugar, and salt; mix well and allow to sit until foamy (about 5 minutes). Pour yeast mixture into a large mixing bowl and add flour, a bit at a time, to form a dough. (Note: I needed way, waaay more flour to make this anything that could even be considered a dough.) Once the dough does not stick to the sides of the bowl, turn out onto a floured work surface and knead for 5 to 10 minutes, adding flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking. Form the dough into a ball, place in an oiled bowl, cover with a dish towel and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size--about an hour.

• 2. Prepare your filling. In a medium saucepan, combine chocolate chips and butter on low heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is smooth and glossy. This can also be done by heating the mixture in the microwave in 20 second intervals until melted. Put your chocolate mixture off to the side for the moment. (Let this sit a little while, it is better to use once it has firmed up a bit. If it gets too solid, just zap it fo 5-10 seconds.)
• 
  
• 3. Heat oven to 450°F. divide the dough into quarters and roll, one quarter at a time, into a 1/4-inch sheet. Cut the dough sheet into squares, about an inch and a half each. Place 1/8 teaspoon of the chocolate mixture in the center of each of the dough squares; bring the corners to the center and pinch together to seal. They'll look like little pillows at this point.
• 
  
• 4. Heat the water and baking soda in a deep sauté pan. Poach the pretzel nuggets for about 30 seconds, remove with a slotted spoon. (We found a dozen at a time works best)
• 
  
• 5. Remove the nuggets from the poaching liquid and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 
• 
  
• (here's the instructions that were not included...I think my PA Dutch roots were able to just take over and finish up the recipe. Pretzel making is in my bones.)
• 
  
• 6. Brush bites with egg wash and sprinkle with kosher salt.
• 
  
• 7. Bake 15 minutes, until bites are as golden as you'd like them.

salty chocolate cookies

You need to make these cookies. 

Warning: Once you share them at a social event, you will be expected to make them pretty much every time. Seriously, once I made a double batch (~80 cookies) and they were gone. I was impressed.  I'd probably make them for an upcoming holiday potluck, but I'll all out of brown sugar from making hot buttered rum. Poor me. ;)

Salty Chocolate Cookies (of deliciousness)

tweaked from post on Brown Eyed Baker

Ingredients:

1 1/4 c. flour

1/6 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/6 c. dark cocoa powder

1/2 t. baking soda

11 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature (very important! don't rush it!!)

2/3 c. dark brown sugar

1/4 c. granulated sugar

1/2 t. salt

1 t. vanilla extract

kosher salt for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Whisk together the flour, cocoa and baking soda in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add both sugars, the salt and vanilla extract and beat for 2 minutes more.
3. With the mixer off, add the dry ingredients. Turn the mixer on and off low speed (pulse) for a second or two about 5 times so that the flour mixture gets incorporated. Then mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, just until the flour disappears into the dough (the dough will look crumbly).
4. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide it in two. Shape each half into a 9-inch log (oh yes, you know what this looks like). Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. (Sometimes I make the batter logs before bedtime and bake 'em over breakfast the next day. The dough can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. If you’ve frozen the dough, you don’t need to defrost before baking – just slice the logs into cookies and baking the cookies 1 minute longer. Brilliance!)
5. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
6. Using a sharp thin knife, slice the logs into rounds that are ½-inch thick (really, I use a ruler!). Arrange the rounds on the baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them. Sprinkle a small amount of extra salt on top of each round.
7. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 8-10 minutes – they won’t look done, and won’t be firm, but that’s how they should be. I take them out once they are puffy; don't wait too long or you get some very sad looking burnt wafers.
8. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the cookies rest until they are only just warm, at which point you can serve them or let them reach room temperature. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

Must. Use. Peanut. Butter.

Coupon clipping, while well-intentioned, can sometimes incite some problems. And by problems, I mean, things taking over my pantry. I thought we didn't have any peanut butter (smooth, that is, for me, baking, cooking, and the dog), so I got two jars, saved some pocket change with a coupon. Turns out, I'd thought the exact same thing about ten days before that. Plus the already opened jar, there were five jars of peanut butter in my pantry. It isn't like people come over to judge me on the status of my pantry, but I feel compelled to whittle down my stock as fast as possible just in case someone decides to point and yell at me about saving up for the next Y2K or something.

So, peanut butter everything! I needed a recipe that required a large quantity of peanut butter (none of this 1/3 cup or less business). Ask, and ye shall receive! The next morning or so, this beautiful concoction was sitting in my Google Reader homepage. I followed the recipe as written and they came out just right.